Omantel and Ericsson

Monetizing 5G investments with Fixed Wireless Access

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Delivering fiber-like speed with 5G FWA

Omantel was the first telecom services provider in the Sultanate to introduce a 5G network. In light of the low speed of xDSL compared to 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and the high maintenance cost of the copper network, the company decided to explore the potential of using 5G FWA to provide reliable speed in areas in the Sultanate that do not have access to fiber connections.

Case

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Omantel has emerged as a global leader in the rollout of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), achieving 400 percent growth in 5G FWA connections in a single year. Three years after the launch, 5G represented 92 percent of all its FWA connections. Since the launch, the company's share of the wireless home broadband (HBB) market has tripled.

Omantel's FWA journey began in 2017, when the company noticed that a growing number of xDSL households were expressing a desire for higher internet speed than the copper network could deliver. While fiber installation is well underway in Oman, it is a time-consuming process that requires substantial upfront investment. At present, fiber penetration is approximately 25 percent and is concentrated in urban areas.

In 2019, when the company introduced the Sultanate's first 5G mobile network, it also upgraded its FWA offering to 5G FWA and soon achieved speed that is 10 times faster than 4G FWA. Consequently. 5G FWA became the preferred choice for all new FWA connections.

Omantel attributes the success of its 5G FWA rollout to three key factors, namely: the ability to deliver fiber-like speed, the professional deployment of outdoor CPES (customer premises equipment) and attractive market offerings tailored to fit customers' needs.

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Growing desire for higher internet speed
Fiber installation is a time-consuming process
Need for faster geographical expansion

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) uses radio links between two fixed points to deliver ultra-high-speed broadband to homes and businesses in suburban and rural areas where fiber has not yet been laid.

"5G FWA has enabled us to provide high speed broadband to a wider spectrum of the Sultanate's population, enabling us to maximize the positive impact on the local communities as it opened new horizons for better education, enhanced access to knowledge, healthcare and safety as well as entertainment services."

- Aladdin Abdullah Bait Fadhil, Chief Commercial Officer at Omantel

400 percent growth in 5G FWA connections
5G represented 92 percent of all Omantel's FWA connections three years after launch
Market share of wireless home broadband (HBB) grew from 12 at the launch to 37 percent in 2021

Omantel is currently exploring the potential to boost its FWA offering with 5G mmWave extended range technology and carrier aggregation with Dynamic Spectrum Shoring, which will enable enhanced 5G capabilities for an even higher number of households and businesses across the Sultanate.

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